Second flutist Emma Gerstein didn’t want to miss Klaus Mäkelä’s first tour with the CSO, which was to the East Coast last month. Neither did she want to stop nursing her ten-month-old, Ronan. So he came along with his mom, who kept a diary about the experience. - WBEZ (Chicago)
It is difficult to appreciate the toll of being on the road for days, weeks, and sometimes months on end, playing program after program and often dealing with social and media commitments in addition. - Nightingale Sonata
Puccini died without finishing the opera, and the standard completion by Franco Alfano is widely considered unsatisfactory. Not to mention, of course, that the opera is an Orientalist fantasy. So Washington National Opera commissioned a new completion (plus editing of the original libretto) by two Asian-American artists. - The New York Times
Yes, even if you’re not great at it (yet). "Make it up as you go along. If nobody else wants to sing, you sing. Be a zealot about keeping your instrument in tune but nothing else. Force yourself to write one new song a week.” - The New York Times
“Music wasn't something that was going to be a long-term thing. ‘I remember distinctly begging my mom for X amount of dollars to buy a certain drum kit and I was like, 'Mom, I'm not going to be in a rock band when I'm 30.’” - CBC
In just one example, "as the American composer Adrian Younge says: ‘Alice Coltrane took the harp, an instrument of angels and orchestras, and made it sound like the cosmos breathing.’” - The Guardian (UK)
“This new age of protest songs also call out politicians and administrations by name with hyper-specific lyrics, and they're often shared online within days of a big news event. .. That responsiveness and ‘clever’ lyricism likely also helps the songs resonate on social media.” - CBC
“WMG is home to some of today’s biggest stars including Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Charli XCX and Zach Bryan, along with longtime stalwarts including Madonna, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell and many more.” - The Hollywood Reporter
A Caa1 is a credit rating that indicates very high credit risk and poor standing, often referred to as “junk” or “speculative” grade. It indicates that an organization is in danger of defaulting, though it is not yet in default. - OperaWire
Because of opera’s long history, integrating elements such as prerecorded and live video into the mix opens up a larger discussion about the role of technology in live performance. - Fast Company
The “Rainbow Waltz” which Yannick Nézet-Séguin programmed for the generally tradition-bound event was attributed to Price (America’s first Black female symphonist) in the program. In fact, it’s a rather free orchestral arrangement of Price’s original piano version — so free that the leading scholar of her work calls it a “forgery.” - The Guardian
The Russian-British violinist joins five current artistic partners: harpsichordist and conductor Richard Egarr, pianist Richard Goode, cellist Abel Selaocoe, conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy, and violist Tabea Zimmermann. Ibragimova’s term begins next season. - The Strad
Overall, works by women made up 14.6 percent of programming in 2025, an increase on 2024’s 11.9 percent after a dip from 13.2 percent in 2023. - Limelight
“Sydney Symphony Orchestra has removed the $8.95 (Aus) booking fee on all tickets to its performances purchased from it directly, arguing the impost disproportionately impacted students and other lower-price ticket buyers.” - Australian Financial Review
